Craig manages our service and repair operations. He previously spent 20 years working for British Gas as a national contracts service partner manager. Today he’s on the other side, working with British Gas, as a service partner.
In 2023 our regional coverage with British Gas (BG) increased. Craig successfully scaled operations, on-boarded more managers, engineers and added extra services. His team were recognised as the best performing contractor nationally in Q3 and Q4 for 2023.
We caught up with Craig to speak about his role.
How do you maintain service levels?
Working with premium brands means hitting high standards every day and exceeding customer expectations with every job.
The key to performing well is training. Our training covers using new software and hardware, as well as familiarising our engineers with clients processes and procedures.
Reporting into Craig are his team of field managers. Covering the UK, they manage the day-to-day in their region, perform audits and are the first point of contact for engineers.
What are the challenges working across different regions?
Every region is unique. In London, salary levels are high and travel can be challenging. Engineers may take an hour travelling to jobs only a few miles apart. This impacts earnings. The cost of living in London is also higher so engineers expect higher pay.
In remote areas, finding skilled engineers can be difficult. The longer distance between jobs means higher fuel costs and fewer jobs completed.
Regions can be locally, not centrally managed. This means dealing with different planners, dispatchers and managers. Building relationships is key to working across different regions.
What happens when things go wrong?
When completing thousands of jobs every month, complaints are inevitable. There may be months without one, then three arrive on the same day!. All complaints are investigated within 24 hours.
Responding quickly and professionally ensures clients and their customers remain happy. We work hard to keep our complaints to a minimum and our KPI’s reflect this.
What is the key to success when working with blue chip clients?
The key to success is communication. Feedback and transparency build trust and further strengthen relationships. Being flexible and accommodating last minute requests is also valued.
In 2023, last minute requests included mobilising teams for a product upgrade in Northern Ireland and emergency response work. Both requests were organised at short notice and successfully launched.
How is success measured? Could you explain the KPIs we work to?
- NPS scoring
Jobs are scored on customer feedback. Customers give two scores. One for the overall customer journey and one for the engineer. Our engineers take pride in getting high NPS scores keeping customers happy.
- First time fix rates
This measures how many jobs are fixed at the first attempt. First time fixes help keep down costs. This metric alone may not give you the full picture. A high first time fix rate could negatively impact other KPIs like cost per job or time on job.
Engineer expertise is key here. Accurately diagnosing, repairing in a timely manner at the first attempt and on budget is the ideal outcome.
- Cost per job
With costs closely monitored by clients, engineers should avoid overspending to fix issues. Spare parts increase costs. Ordering multiple parts may be the quick fix but having experienced and skilled engineers helps us deliver a great outcome for the customer at good value.
- Time to complete
Clients with millions of customers expect you to work quickly and efficiently. Spending too long, or not enough time per job, can lead to further investigation. Thank you for going through the KPIs,
Do you have any final words?
Operating a successful national service and repair network isn’t just about dispatching engineers to specific locations.
While that’s important, success lies in flawlessly representing a prestigious brand by building strong relationships, adhering to processes, meeting KPIs and delivering an exceptional service.
If you are looking for a nationwide service partner contact us today to see how we can help you.
